manchester

3D scanning shows a butterfly's metamorphosis

Thanks to the magic of dissection, we have a pretty good idea of the changes that occur when a caterpillar spins its chrysalis and enters its metamorphosis -- the developmental stage that sees it move from the juvenile larval stage to the gorgeous adult life of a butterfly.

However, as you might have already guessed, dissection destroys the specimen, meaning that researchers are unable to follow the full development of a creature. We do know that the caterpillar will use enzymes to break down some of its proteins to reform; Scientific American called this a cocoon full of "caterpillar soup." However, scientists have performed research revealing that while some breakdown occurs, the idea of caterpillar soup is mostly wrong (but still gross).

Using micro-computed tomography, or micro-CT scanning, which uses X-ray imaging to re-create 3D cross-sections of the scanned object, Tristan Rowe and Russell Garwood from the U.K's University of Manchester and Thomas Simonsen from London's Natural History Museum have discovered exactly what happens to a painted lady butterfly inside the chrysalis. … Read more

The hot musical sounds of a steam engine

If deck railings, shower innards, old bike wheels, and Nike sneakers can be made into musical instruments, why stop there?

In the grand tradition of making music from unlikely materials, students at the U.K.'s University of Manchester incorporated the sounds of a giant working steam mill engine into an original composition.

Three brass players accompanied the running twin Victoria and Alexandra engines (yes, they have names) at Ellenroad Mill in Rochdale, England, at a performance earlier this month. The brass players started with a fanfare, gathering speed as the 85-ton flywheel, which measures 28 feet in diameter, gradually roared to life to play its part in a piece by Simon Joyner, a Manchester master's student in composition. … Read more

Send your own satellite into space

Zac Manchester is taking this whole private space exploration idea into his own hands. A Cornell graduate student in aerospace engineering, Manchester hopes to raise enough money to launch 100 chip-size satellites into space.

He and some collaborators have created a DIY satellite called Sprite, which Manchester calls the "world's smallest spacecraft." The devices measure the size of a couple of postage stamps, and pack solar cells, a radio transceiver, and a microcontroller onto a single silicon microchip.

Manchester's goal? He's trying to raise $30,000 on Kickstarter so he can send as many Sprites into orbit as possible to demonstrate that they can be safely launched and operated. … Read more

Soccer star, CNN host in cyberbullying spat on Twitter

Having lived in both Europe and the U.S., I'm often amused by what the different sides of the Atlantic find unamusing.

So I found myself quizzically smirking when I heard that U.S.-based Twitter had allegedly reprimanded Rio Ferdinand, England's (and Manchester United's) often-injured soccer star, for tweeting in a cyberbullying manner.

Here's the funny part. Well, one of them.

The person Ferdinand was allegedly accused of bullying was Larry King's replacement on CNN, Piers Morgan. This is akin to being accused of cyberbullying someone from 4Chan.

It seems the row started in … Read more

Foursquare names world's rudest cities

If you travel around the world, you sometimes find yourself marveling at just how many different cultures can intersperse every second word with an expletive.

It's a talent that some might say the British have turned into something resembling an art form, as long as you have a refined interpretation of what constitutes art.

I am therefore expleting with joy that an English city has been named, by the politically correct techies at Foursquare, as the world's rudest.

How did Foursquare come to this conclusion? Well, in a post on the the company's engineering blog, Matthew Rathbone, … Read more

U.K. leaders are thinking and driving green

An electric powered sports car named "Greenster," got a test drive today in Manchester, England. Juergen Maier, head of industry at Siemens Manchester and Sir Howard Bernstein, Manchester City Council chief executive, took to the streets in a effort to promote Smart Grid.

According to a press release, Siemens is looking into all aspects of "electromobility" including Smart Grid infrastructure. Smart Grid will enable drivers to use more renewable energy as part of an every day source of electricity. With the development of electric cars, Smart Grid technology will also enable drivers to turn our cars … Read more

UEFA Champions League final: What brands can learn from 'Barca'

I’m nervous, seriously nervous. In a few hours, in the Olympic stadium in Rome, FC Barcelona (or “Barca,” as its supporters call it) will face Manchester United, the other soccer superpower, in the game of all games, the final of the UEFA Champions League, the most important club competition in Europe (and the world, for that matter). Both teams have already won two trophies this season (their national leagues and national cups, respectively), and a victory in Rome would see either one clinch the “treble.” For Barca, it would be a historic accomplishment–no other Spanish soccer team has … Read more

Goalie's iPod save helps team win major soccer final

I am not sure that those clever chaps at Apple ever considered this during the design process.

But in today's Carling Cup Final (Carling's a beer, the Cup Final is a soccer game in London) between the ruthlessly entertaining and just-plain-good Manchester United and the hopelessly brittle and just-plain-neurotic Spurs, the outcome was heavily influenced by the iconic music player.

The game ended in a scoreless tie. So Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster knew that he would have to face penalty kicks.

Penalties are like foreplay. People have tendencies. So in the very short break between the end … Read more

Manchester United discovers...Pointcast???

Manchester United (the other English Premiership team, second only to Arsenal) is rolling out a new desktop service that will provide "video, match results and Old Trafford news in real time." The club's reasons for going with a desktop software model is interesting, if misguided:

The application gives more flexibility in delivering the service than a web-based tool because the content is pushed out by us. It is discreet and compelling because it uses rich media, is simple and easy to control.

I'm trying to find something in the above that begs for a desktop-based offering (… Read more